Welcome aboard

Posted on Mon Dec 3rd, 2018 @ 5:03pm by Captain Rueben Gregnol

Mission: Mission 8 - Shattered
Location: ISS Fenrir: Suttlebay
Timeline: MD01 20:00
1669 words - 3.3 OF Standard Post Measure

Deacon sighed as he rubbed the salve in just under his nose. Almost immediately his sense of smell were overwhelmed with the smell of peppermint. It wasn't that he particularly liked the mell, but it was preferable to what he was about to experience. "Energize" he ordered the transporter operator.

Almost immediately three forms solidified on the pad, along with the stench of bodies that smelled like they hadn't seen a shower in years. "Captain Roberton, as always, welcome aboard." Deacon said respectfully, knowing any Terran being met by a nonhuman couldn't appear to be anything else than a snub. "And what have you brought us today?" the Rigellian asked curiously. As far as he knew they hadn't any outstanding contracts with the bounty hunter.

Micheal looked over at the Rigellian and scowled slightly, though not because of who addressed him. While it was true that, as a human, he had a dislike for most alien species, Deacon had always treated him with respect, even when his fellow humans didn't. No, his scowl was more for the fact of where he was. "Deacon," he nodded back as he growled softly. "I've got two more alternate universe humans for the Captain." He nearly spit when he mentioned Reuben. He glanced over at the pair of unconscious humans, each one strapped to a litter.

Deacon grinned at the Bounty Hunter's audacity. He was still as crazy as any Terran, but he liked him. "I'll transfer them over to the brig." he assured him, tossing the cyborg a flask. "Azzian Bourbon, a rare vintage nowadays." wrinkling his nose as the Punisher's scent made it past even the salve's pungent odor, "Set aside some quarters for you and your crew. Working shower and everything." Then with a smile that had more than once been shared between them, he added, "Speaking of 'everything', that's what I'm assuming your ship needs?"

Catching the flask with his cybernetic left hand, Micheal returned the gesture by tossing a small cloth pouch to Deacon with his right hand. Inside was his usual payment/bribe to the resourceful quartermaster. "Make sure my ship is ready to leave by the end of the day. And see to my crew's needs. There's a little extra in there, for your trouble."

"As always your generosity is greatly appreciated, Captain. I already have supplies ready to go and a work-crew tasked. They'll fix anything you need, under your security's supervision of course." The Rigellian shot back as he pocketed the coins, "I've arranged a select number of the slaves, who are willing to share their time with your people for moderate compensation. And please ask those with more 'adventurous tastes' to use the VR units. We wouldn't want a repeat of the last unfortunate situation."

Micheal grunted as he watched his prisoners disappear, being beamed to the larger brig several decks below where he stood. "I hope the damage wasn't too severe, from my last visit." Two of his former crew had decided to beat a few of the slaves, feeling that they hadn't been serviced appropriately. Former because soon after the visit, both men met unfortunate ends, having accidentally misused the airlock on Micheal's ship. While slaves had their purposes, Micheal detested them being abused simply because of who they are.

"Speaking of 'adventurous tastes' I believe Lt. Saa will want to meet you for a tactical debriefing." Deacon added before Micheal left, "Would you like me to arrange proper refreshments be sent to your cabin in anticipation of this?" Decon's voice remand professional at all times, with none of the lewdness or sarcasm someone with less discretion might use.

A small grin creased the corners of Micheal's lips at the mention of the beautiful Trill's name. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out a small bar of gold-pressed latinum, tossing it over to Deacon. "Make it a luxurious meal, complete with desert options." He then turned and left the transporter room, heading for the bridge.

"Your wish is my command." Deacon replied, shaking the bag of coins for emphasis, "you'll be provided with the finest the ship has to offer."


**Bridge**

Gregnol watched as the man finally came onto the Bridge and smirked. They had a long sordid past and Gregnol hadn't needed him last time they were this close so the guards around the Bridge were redundant. "Hello Roberston... I see for once you have brought us something worthwhile." The Captain said watching one of the figures on the screen and grinned. "I see my theory on a second ship was correct."

Micheal grunted softly and scowled slightly. "It seems so...Captain." It was quite clear that the bounty hunter had no love for the Russian, however, he kept his tone just barely respectable. He casually glanced around the bridge, noticing the heightened level of security. It gave him a somewhat contented feeling, deep inside, to see that Reuben was aware of just how dangerous he could be. "It is an odd feeling to look at someone else with my face."

"I have had the same thoughts." The Russain admitted, seeing him glance around. The man could think it was for him for all he cared. If Micheal tried anything again, Reuben knew the Betazoid next to him would make the Texan sorry before he even got an inch closer than was respectful. "I hear you caught two people though?"

Moving to lean against the railing that separated the centre of the bridge from the perimeter workstations, the bounty hunter replied gruffly. "Yeah, two humans. One with my face and another man, younger."

"Very interesting where that younger man has come from," Gregnol said with a triumphant smirk as he glanced at his Executive Officer. "You want to tell him where some of the rust bucket's crew is from?"

"Their past," Hump replied in a deadpan voice. Seeing the look on the bounty hunter's face, "Better than 100 years, if you believe the log. Some type of 'transporter storage.' One more mystery for our tech guys to unravel." Then, folding his arms, he fixed Micheal with a critical gaze, "Now, I'm more curious about the ship our new guests arrived in. I mean they didn't walk from the other side."

While the issue of exactly how old some of the other universe's crew was was intriguing, Micheal didn't let it show. As for the question of the other ship, he knew the question would come up. Shrugging nonchalantly, he replied. "I couldn't tell you where it is." It wasn't a lie, per say. As the ship was cloaked and running on as low power levels as possible, life support was off, for one, as Rebecca didn't it, the ship could be anywhere. He had instructed his A.I. thusly because he knew he could be scanned. While he was confident that the ship was nearby, as no one in this universe had designed a cloaking device, the shuttle would be near impossible to detect, especially as no one knew what to look for.

Hump smiled at the Cyborg, "Oh come now, Captain Roberts, I'm sure you could if you really tried." The XO said taking out a PaDD, "Let's see... neutrino emissions from the breach indicated something shuttle-sized passed through, but, sensors detected no ship. At least for about ten minutes. Then one appears, there are transporter signals and the ship simply vanishes. No explosion, no debris field. Now, what do you make of that Captain Robertson?"

Micheal simply shrugged noncommittally. As he was the captain of his own vessel, he didn't have to answer the XO of the Russian's ship if he chose not to. Looking over at Reuben, he grunted, "So, you find what you were looking for?"

Gregnol looked up again from the viewscreen where the man who looked like a far better version than Robinson was stood waiting. "Very much so. It is a shame you can't use him for parts. He looks in better shape than you." Gregnol goaded.

Though Micheal bristled at the obvious taunt, he was careful to keep the reaction off his face. He also kept his seething anger buried deep in his mind, lest Gregnol's Betazoid witch think he was a threat. In the end, the bounty hunter merely shrugged. "He's too weak. Wouldn't want to pollute myself."

“Weak or not, this is a great example of ‘Age vs Mileage,’” Hump chimed in, “But I understand why you wouldn't want to use him for spare parts. After how well those back-alley technomages you use keep putting you back together, again and again.” The XO puffed on his cheroot, as he purposely glanced from the cyborg to his counterpart and smiled cynically. “Besides, we really need to talk with him. He was the security officer after all. And you never know what other jewels of information we can get. New tactical ideas, technologies. Just think about the things he can tell us.” He added as a veiled threat, delivered with a smile.

"I am sure I can talk to him." Selina piped up from where she was stood with a smile that spoke volumes of what she could get out of him. It was easy to her, not many people could defy her. "Just worry Humprehy I will get all information." The woman added with a small smirk.

"I'd never doubt your abilities, Lady Fenruse."Hump replied with an overly gallant bow, "I am just saying if he proves as stubborn as the good Captain here, we may have to use more extreme measures."

Gregnol ignored the pair and looked at Robinson. "So what are your plans until the Admiral releases you?" He wondered why this man had been forced onto his ship instead of the Gaman.

OFF::

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Captain Reuben Gregnol
Commanding Officer
ISS Fenrir

Commander Humphrey Van Weydan
Executive Officer
ISS Fenrir
(PNPC Deacon Kane)

Captain Michael Robertson
Commanding Officer/Bounty Hunter
ISS Punisher
(PNPC Robertson)